It didn’t take long for Caden Bogenpohl to force a re-think.
When the Phillies took the 6-foot-6 Missouri State outfielder in the second round of the 2026 draft, there was plenty to like about the raw power, but the pick wasn’t exactly a no-brainer on the surface after a down junior season. A month into his pro career, though, Bogenpohl has started making noise loud enough to change the conversation.
Last week at Single-A Clearwater, he launched a three-run homer at 117.1 mph off the bat, the hardest ball hit by any Phillies player - major or minor league - in the Statcast era, which dates back to 2015. In the same game, he also lined a 116.6 mph single and finished with four hits and four RBI. And this wasn’t just a flash of exit-velocity theater: before the Phillies even drafted him, he had already touched 119.4 mph at the MLB Draft Combine.
That kind of power is exactly why he’s climbing so quickly in a reworked Phillies farm ranking. In this view of the system, upside carries more weight than immediate polish, especially for players who have barely begun their pro careers. That’s part of why recent Double-A looks from Dante Nori and Aroon Escobar don’t move the needle much here; neither has produced the kind of breakout season that changes the picture.
With that in mind, the updated top 10 looks like this:
- Gage Wood, RHP - One of the best RHP is all of minor league baseball, his 70 grade fastball should create opportunities for swing and miss secondaries.
- Francisco Renteria, OF - a $4 million international signee and MLB Pipeline's No. 3-ranked prospect in his signing class, still just 17 and yet to play a game stateside.
- Tyler Spangler, SS - still hasn't played since being picked 36 overall, but I can't wait to see what he does.
- Aidan Miller, SS - hasn't played all year with a back injury, but the talent that made him a potential top-10 pick hasn't gone anywhere.
- Caden Bogenpohl, OF - Having a great start to his pro career slashing .326/.500/.873 with insane exit velocity numbers.
- Will Gasparino, OF - has shown the upside in his first pro games that has scouts excited about his power and speed with 6'6" frame.
Slashing .264/.500/.864 with a couple stolen bases.
7.
Bryan Rincon, SS - having a nice power uptick this year, with a floor as an everyday infielder because of the defense tool.
8.
Dante Nori, OF - former first rounder with tools who still has value, but needs to start performing at the higher levels.
9.
Alirio Ferrebus, C/1B - hitting .310 with 11 homers and 58 RBI between Clearwater and Jersey Shore, and finally healthy after three injury-plagued seasons.
10.
Ruger Riojas, RHP - pitched himself toward top-three-round buzz at Texas before a bout of flu and bronchitis derailed his stuff late; if the Phillies get that earlier version back, this is a real steal at pick No. 100.
A few of the newer arms - including Jaxon Jelkin out of Kentucky and Devin Sheerin out of LSU - haven’t thrown a professional pitch yet, so there’s no real performance to rank yet. Riojas gets the nod because of what he showed earlier in the season as Texas’ Friday night starter, when the stuff looked good enough to dream on at the next level.
The bigger picture is encouraging for Philadelphia. The front office added upside in the college crop, kept its major prospects out of deadline trades, and now has a player in Bogenpohl who is already rewriting franchise Statcast history.
MLB Pipeline has the Phillies at No. 26 in its updated organizational rankings, a number that makes sense with Painter and Crawford graduating from the Top 100 and Miller missing the year with his back. But that ranking could climb quickly once the newer names start getting real runway.
For now, the most striking development is this: the Phillies may have found a bat worth paying attention to, and maybe even the kind of power that eventually helps answer what Kyle Schwarber has meant to the lineup. A month ago, that would have sounded like a stretch. Today, Bogenpohl has made it a fair question.
In Other News...
Phillies Fans Just Got More Proof Their Broadcast Booth Is Special
Another piece of evidence that the Phillies broadcast booth is one of the sports better draws arrived this week, with Awful Announcing ranking the clubs announcing crew sixth in Major League Baseball after surveying nearly 10,000 fans. The list reflects what Phillies viewers and listeners have long felt across both TV and radio: this is a booth with real personality, strong chemistry and a knack for making a long season feel a little more entertaining.
Tom McCarthy and Scott Franzke anchor the play-by-play side, while John Kruk, Ruben Amaro Jr., Ben Davis and Cole Hamels give the booth a mix of perspective and style that keeps it in a league of its own. Fan appeal matters in a market that lives and dies with its baseball coverage, and this ranking is a reminder that the Phillies have built something that resonates well beyond the box score. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies May Have Found A Needed Answer For Their Overworked Staff
The Phillies added a familiar name to their pitching mix this week, signing former All-Star Nestor Cortes Jr. in a move aimed at easing the burden on an overworked staff. Cortes is still working back from offseason surgery, so his first stop will be with the Low-A Clearwater Threshers as he builds toward major league readiness.
For Philadelphia, the appeal is obvious even before the team sorts out his exact role. The club has not said whether Cortes will return as a starter or slide into a swingman assignment, but either path would give the Phillies another layer of depth at a time when every healthy arm matters. If he progresses as hoped, he could become the kind of useful midseason answer that keeps the rotation from wearing down. [Read more 🡒]
Don Mattinglys Trea Turner Read Should Grab Phillies Fans Attention
Don Mattingly had a sharp read on Trea Turners hitting approach after the Phillies rolled past the Cardinals 12-3, and it came at a time when Turners season has carried a little more scrutiny than usual. In his 12th major league season and fourth in Philadelphia, Turner has seen his batting average dip, but he still turned in a solid showing in the win, giving the club another reminder of how dangerous he can look when hes on time at the plate.
For the Phillies, sitting at 72-58 and holding second place in the NL East, Turners bat remains one of the lineups biggest swing factors as the stretch run tightens. Mattinglys comments should stand out to fans because they speak to more than one game - they touch on the larger question of whether Turner can keep settling in and deliver the kind of production Philadelphia needs once the pressure rises. [Read more 🡒]